Common questions we always get asked is how should I prepare for my puppy or what should I buy for them?
Here’s a list of what we suggest you have:
Here is a link to our amazon page it is broken down by Puppy essentials, grooming tools, helpful books, and just for fun! It is a quick and easy way to shop our favorite products that we use on a daily basis and goes above and beyond what is listed below.
https://www.amazon.com/shop/cnrfarms
Collar and Leash: We suggest using a 4ft or 6ft non-retractable leash(these can be very dangerous and teach your dog to pull) or a Leashboss leash(can be found on leashboss.com) for dogs learning how to walk on a leash. This way you can control how much leash your dog has. As far as a collar goes pick which ever style fits you. We love Blueberry brand collars they come in so many fun colors and patterns. You will get a collar with your puppy custom made for us.
Harness: We use harnesses for several of our adult dogs and older puppies. We prefer the padded ones if you are using it on a younger dog.
Food bowl: We recommend ones that sit on the ground and then placing them on a mat. We use stainless steel ones because they can’t absorb germs. Also ones that have non skid on the bottom are better. A mat will catch any fallen food and save you a huge mess on the floor. If you have a puppy that eats really fast and and definitely if they throw up after eating I recommend getting a slow feeder bowl. I do use plastic ones of these as they come in many shapes and can be switched every week or so to make it a game. I run them through the dish washer if they need a good cleaning.
Water bowl: We recommend the Slopper Stopper. It is well worth the money. I kept putting one in and out my cart in Amazon for a couple months before finally deciding to try it and then I asked myself why in the world did I wait so long. No more trails of water through the house, no more wet beards(my favorite part), and no more drinking too fast. Use the code CNRFARMS10 for 10% off(this can only be used on their website not amazon) http://bit.ly/31fZbY7 Here is the link to their page for use with the discount code.
Crate: We suggest you go ahead and get a XL crate that comes with a moveable divider so the puppy can grow with it instead of you having to buy several crates as he/she grows. The XL is good for medium sized to small standards. I suggest the XXL for standard sized. Also one with actual latches instead of a pickup door is better. It took our poodle all of 2 days to figure out how to let himself and our yorkie who was in a crate with a pick up door out.
Puppy Food: We feed Life’s Abundance All Life Stages. We highly recommend you keeping your puppy on this food for at least the first month but we will extend the health guarantee to 3 years if you feed them the entire 3 years and extend it 10 years if you feed the Life’s Abundance system the entire 10 years. They are experiencing so many life changes when they go to their new homes we believe changing their food right off shouldn’t be one of them. You can click here lifesabundance.com/cnrfarms to purchase it.
Toys: You can buy toys of all kinds but remember ones that are soft and filled with stuffing probably won’t last too long. These are our dogs favorites. We have so many GoDog dragons around our house..our dogs LOVE them. The Nylabone interactive chew is a favorite of our puppies and one of the first toys we introduce to them because of all the fun textures. Kong toys are also great because they are tough, they last, and the dogs love them.
Shampoo: Make sure you read the back some shampoos are not made for dogs under a certain age. Our favorite shampoo is Life’s Abundance revitalizing shampoo not only does it wash good but the smell is amazing! For parti puppies we recommend using a natural whitening shampoo every other wash but make sure it is natural and doesn’t contain any bleach as this will bleach out the color.
Crate bed: We recommend waiting until they are crate trained to get one of these to avoid having to wash it. This is not a necessary item just a little extra if you want it for you dog. These come in a big price range and you can spend as much or as little it’s up to you. We are a fan of basic crate beds as ours don’t spend a lot of time in their crates and if they get messed up we can just get a new one.
Grooming Tools: We have so many grooming tools but my favorites that I would suggest would be a slicker brush, pin brush, metal comb, and a de-matting brush. Again there is a huge price range in brushes. Here is what we use. We have bought so many found these work the best and really are worth the money. I have edited to add the Chris Christensen slicker brush..my new favorite!
Nail Trimmers: If you will be taking your dog to the groomer regularly this is something you can just let them do but if not again a huge price range too choose from. We have several pair like these but they have new ones that detect the quick so you don’t cut it but they are a bit pricey. Most like these have a guard so you don’t cut too much.
Ear Cleaner: We recommend getting Ear Care Formula and cleaning out your dogs ears about once a week to help prevent ear infections. We do this as a part of our routine with our dogs to keep their ears staying healthy.
Stay and Wash: This is something we have found so helpful in washing our dogs. Even the ones who like baths like to hang their head over the side of the tub and it helps keep water in and not all over the floor:) This is something we use every single bath time.
Flea and Tick prevention: We highly recommend Seresto Collars. They last 8 months(6 months if your dog is constantly in water). We don’t recommend you using oral flea and tick meds because they have so many adverse side affects. The number one side affect of most oral flea and tick meds is diarrhea and no one wants a constant battle of that and several have caused the death of dogs.
Puppy Culture: I very strongly suggest purchasing the DVD for Puppy Culture. This is the program we use to raise our puppies and it continues until the puppy is 12 weeks of age but most of the principles can even be applied to older dogs. Although some of the DVD is for the breeder side of raising I think it is helpful for you to see how your puppy was raised and started so that you can continue the training and continue to build on the foundation we have started.
How big is my puppy going to get?
~If it is a standard male the average puppy is going to be 65-85lbs with some getting in the 90-100lb range.
~If it is a standard female the average puppy is going to be 65-75lbs.
~If it is a medium male and female the average puppy is going to be 30-50lbs with some going slightly out of this range.
Of course there are always exceptions and those we will list as being the smallest in the litter etc.
What kind of food do ya’ll feed?
~We use Life’s Abundance All Life Stages, it is a highly nutritious food. It has no artificial flavors or colors
and no corn, wheat or corn/wheat glutens
Click here to compare your dog food and find out more info.
The All Life Stage Healthy Start kit is perfect to get your puppy off to a great start!
How do ya’ll raise your puppies?
~ Our puppies are raised in my home. We use Puppy Culture to raise our puppies. We start at just 3 days of age with Early Neurological Stimulation and continue until they leave us at 8 weeks of age. We will work with them on noise and touch desensitization, crate training, clicker training, starting on potty training, and so much more. It helps to create a well rounded confident puppy. We work on manding(sitting for attention) starting around 5-6 weeks. We start the potty training process at 4 weeks old with a litter pan. Then at 5 weeks we will begin taking them outside every 2 hours. They will begin to learn that when we go outside that, that means go potty. At 5 weeks we begin crate training by introducing it in the pen and working up to individual time. I like the puppies to be comfortable in their crates for a couple hours upon going home. Puppy Culture has been a game changer for us and our puppies. It really does help shape your puppy into the best puppy it can be.
Is shipping a puppy safe?
~Yes it is completely safe. We have shipped about 30 puppies and we have had several of our puppies shipped to us. We have never had any problems. We send them with food and water. Their water is frozen so that it lasts the plane ride. They are also kept in a temperature controlled environment while on the plane and while transferring/waiting for pickup.
~ You can also fly to us and ride back with the puppy in the cabin with you. We will meet you at the airport with the puppy, soft sided crate, and health check for flight.
How do I make one of your puppies a part of my family?
-The first thing is to make sure you have read the website in its entirety. I work very hard to provide useful information for you as well as our policies are on these pages. For sure check out the Purchasing/Pricing page and the Puppy Benefits page.
-Then fill out a puppy form
-Lastly place a deposit on the puppy of your choice to hold it.
Is my deposit refundable?
-No, your deposit isn’t refundable but is transferable to another litter or another puppy for up to a year.
If I have a deposit down on a puppy how and when do I pick mine out?
– Puppy picks will begin at 6 weeks beginning with first pick and it will go down the line till all picks have been made. Each person will be given a day to make their decision on their puppy and we must know your pick by 12am EST. Due to the fact that we normally have several people in line to pick their puppy if you do not have your pick in on time you will forfeit your spot. We will have a meet and greet day for puppy picks. If you are unable to make it to meet and greet you will pick from pictures and I will try to have a video also. I am always happy to answer any questions about coats or personality preferences.
What are the best treats for my puppy?
– We recommend Life’s Abundance Tasty Rewards, Buffalo Bully sticks, Turkey & Berry Chewies, hooves, and antlers for your heavy chewers. Our dogs LOVE the bully sticks and will do anything for one. They are a great distraction from chewing on unwanted things like your favorite pair of shoes. The tasty rewards are my favorite treat to use for training.
Please do NOT feed raw hide treats as made contain harmful chemicals and they are a major choking hazard.
What do the Health Testing ratings mean?
-For hips the rating is done is normal, borderline, or dysplastic. Only dogs in the Normal range with good genetic background are breeding prospects. Any dog that falls into the borderline or dysplastic categories are not to be bred. The Normal rating has 3 subcategories Excellent, Normal, and Fair all of which are good breeding prospects with good genetic background. The Elbow are more simple they are either Normal or Grade 1, 2, or 3. For more information check out www.ofa.org
Do you remove the dew claws?
No, and here’s why we have never had a problem with them nor had anyone have a problem with them. For dogs their dew claws are like their thumbs. If you watch when they hold things with their feet they are using those dew claws to help. I wouldn’t want my thumb cut off so we choose not to remove them.
How much should I feed my dog?
When they come home they will be eating 1-1 1/2 cups in the morning and afternoon. While they are growing they will be eating a lot. This is why we suggest going with a higher quality food because you will have to feed less while meeting their nutritional needs. All of our dogs are fed separately according to their weight and the bag recommendation. This has helped to maintain them at a good weight. It is very easy to have an overweight dog which causes stress on their joints.
Do you have a recommended trainer?
Yes, yes, and yes! If you are local to the Savannah/Hinesville area I highly recommend Happy Hounds Dog Training. Her classes are fun and informational. I have personally used her and she is great.(Click on Logo for link to site)
Happy Hounds K9 Dog Obedience Training
I also highly recommend Baxter & Bella. This is an online step by step Do-it-Yourself dog training program. It is super informational and will help get you and your new family member off to a great start. I am also a member of this and am super impressed with it. Use our discount code of CNRFARMS to receive a 25% discount on Lifetime Membership. (Click on Logo for link to site)
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